HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1952
re-equipped with new machinery. It re-opened. in September, 1950, and nearly 500 workers are employed in producing light quality refined sugar, crystals, granulated, half cubes, golden syrup and brown sugar. Raw sugar is usually imported from Mauritius and efforts are being made to develop the pre-war markets of Malaya, Singapore, Thailand, British North Borneo, Burma, Ceylon and Pakistan.
Rope
One factory, established over 67 years ago, the Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Co. Ltd., employs 170 workers. Its production includes lifeboat falls, flag lines, point lines, driving ropes, drilling cables and hawsers, which are manufactured from raw fibre imported from the Philippines. In 1947, the monthly production was approximately 300,000 lbs. but in 1952, this figure was increased to 1,961,347 lbs.
Cement
The only manufacturers of cement in the Colony are the Green Island Cement Co. Ltd. This old estab- lished Hong Kong concern opened its first works in Macao, on Green Island, in 1889 and ten years later built a second factory in Kowloon, on the site of its present works. It operated successfully for many years and its product became widely known in the Far East until, in the 1920's, it became clear that a modern plant was needed to ensure economic manufacture and to meet growing competition. The new plant was com- pleted in 1930 with a capacity of 110,000 tons of cement per annum.
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